When Dead Men Rise
by OhThatsBirdy
Summary: As Hiccup is just starting to get his life back together after his father's tragic death, the enemy is rising again. But this time, they have a deadly weapon that the gang knows all too well. Who won't escape with the others? And who makes the biggest sacrafice of their lives to save their friends? I do not own any of the HTTYD characters or the world in which they live in.
1. Prologue

They were the early hours of the day in the Barbaric Archipelago, and the sun was just beginning to stretch fingerlings of colour across the dark skies. Sea birds started to emerge from their nests in the rocky cliffs where they would jump and plummet gleefully towards the water before spreading their wings and catching themselves, screaming in delight. The ocean roared and tossed salty spray into the air as the world woke again from its slumber.

Somewhere far away, in a land that even the sun didn't dare touch, a man stood on a misty cliff above the ocean. The wind whipped his coal-coloured hair across his scarred face as he squinted into the fog that was the colour of both his eyes and his heart. He was about 6'4, with a stocky figure and biceps the size of logs. He wore full armoury over his chest and shoulders, and a dark fur cape that entangled itself around his legs in the wind. One could tell by the way he stood that this man was, without doubt, sure of his identity. He held himself with a certain stiff posture that showed he was a figure of authority to be respected, and he knew it. But even the greatest men are scared of something, and this was no exception.

Spitting on the ground, the man spun around and strode through a massive pair of wooden doors into a castle. The single tower loomed high above the sea so the very top of it pierced the heavy clouds. As the man climbed the stairs, he glanced out the slit window. Below him, the water broke on jagged rocks. The remains of a ship were tossed around the base of the cliff like toys in a storm.

The man reached the top of the staircase. Panting slightly, he hesitated, fist raised, before knocking on the door infront of him.

Silence.

Then, a deep, raspy voice answered. "Enter."

The man tentatively pushed open the door and stepped into the room. It was pitch black except for a single candle that flickered from the movement. The air smelled of dust and blood.

The man dropped onto one knee and bowed his head. "My lord." He mustered up the courage to say. "You wanted to see me?"

The voice croaked its reply.

"Indeed, Svalenn. Rise, man, and come over here where I can see you."

General Hadar Svalenn got to his feet and shuffled over to where a giant, hunched figure sat in a chair, concealed by a cloth that had been draped over its face and body.

"My lord." Muttered Hadar. "How is your health?"

The figure barked. "My health is not of your concern, General. I do not need you to..."

The general jumped as a fit of violent coughing erupted from the chair.

"I am healing, man. Soon, I will be strong enough to finish what I started. But for now, I need a favour done."

The general stepped forward eagerly. "Anything, my lord."

The figure wheezed before continuing.

"On the island of Berk, there is a threat to my plans. His name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of the late Stoick the Vast."

Svalenn interrupted. "I have heard of that man. He's the one who trained a Night Fu..."

"Silence, man!" He figure smashed one giant, distorted fist against the arm of the chair, before erupting into another coughing fit. The sound echoed eerily in the dark room. The figure regained composure, and went on.

"This man has defied me once. I am not going to let him think he can get away with that."

"No, of course not, my lord." Stuttered the general.

The figure leaned forward slightly.

"You are to take an army to Berk and destroy the man. Leave everything else to me. But do whatever you must to make sure I have that man's head mounted on a spear. Leave the Night Fury, you must bring the Night Fury to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Svalenn said.

"Oh, general? Make sure you get rid of him for good. Or I'd not only fear for your life, but for the lives of your family as well."

Svalenn gulped. "Yes, sir."

"Now get out, man. And don't let me see your face until the job is done."

The general bowed once again and stumbled out of the room.

Drago Bludvist sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Not long, now, O great dragon master. Not long now."


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay! So, hello to all my gorgeous readers, first of all. Thank you all for reading and replying, both here and on the grapevine. You guys are just awesome. Anyway, I really hope you like the first cheaper, I know a few of you followed the prologue, and I planting extend the story to at least ten-twelve chapters long. If you have any questions, comments or critiques, please do not** **to leave a review!**

**I should probably stop talking now. Enjoy.**

**I do not own HTTYD or any of its characters, only the OCs to come.**

**Thanks to hcsp1 again!**

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III bit his lip in concentration as he expertly carved the finishing touches into the saddle he was making. He stood back and allowed himself to admire his work for a second. The saddle was a piece of art in itself. It was light and compact, perfect for racing, and was made if the finest leather to ensure steady wear. Hiccup smiled slightly, remembering how the last two saddles he had made this person had been destroyed in the space of several months due to he antics of a certain playful Deadly Nadder. The wrath emerging from the Hofferson household could be heard all through the village, and everyone was sure to stay out of Astrid's way for the rest of the afternoon. The next day, an extremely sheepish looking dragon and her rider had shown up at the forge. Astrid had thunderstorms in her eyes as she quietly asked for a new saddle for Stormfly for the second time in that season. So Hiccup had made sure that this one would last. He had spent weeks perfecting a new design to maximise both durability and comfort, and was positive that this saddle would at least make it to the end of the year.

Now, the viking chief ran his fingers along the intricate carvings around the rim of the saddle. Etchings of white-capped waves curled into shapes of dragons, their fiery breath rolling across the skies and finally entwining around the emblem of Berk on the pommel. The design was carefully matched to those on Astrid's infamous battle axe that the Hofferson girl was barely ever seen without.

_Astrid._

Hiccup tried to remember the last time he had seen her apart from their brief smiles when they hurried past eachother in the village. Surely it couldn't have been back when she came to him for a saddle... Either way, it had been at least a few weeks. Chiefing duties had been taking up all the young viking's hours in the past nine months. Every time he though he had a spare minute to take Toothless out flying or visit any of his friends, someone would come up to him with a problem that needed fixing. But he couldn't complain, as Toothless was busy as well, as the new alpha. Serve the people, that's what Stoick used to say.

Hiccup sighed, memories of his father's horrific death flooding his mind. It could've been him. It should've been him.

Dismissing the thought with a quick shake of his head, he trudged over to where Toothless was lazing in the sun, enjoying his rare time off. He crouched down next to the dragon, giving him an affectionate scratch behind the ears. The night fury grumbled, annoyed at being woken from his sleep. Hiccup grinned.  
"Oh, did I wake you, sleepyhead? So sorry."  
He gave Toothless a nudge. The dragon replied with a groan, stretching out his limbs lazily.

Distracted in his own thoughts, Hiccup didn't even hear soft footfalls entering the forge. It was only several seconds later that a familiar voice called out to him.  
"Well, good afternoon to you, too!"

Hiccup stood up, smiling, and turned around to face his girlfriend. Astrid stood, her hands on her hips, a sarcastic smirk on her lips.

"Miss Hofferson, you really need to stop sneaking up on me."

The girl scoffed. "Oh, please. You were in your own little world again."

"Really?"

Hiccup wrapped one arm around her waist and dropped a light kiss on her forehead.

"Mmm. What crazy invention are you dreaming up this time?"

He smiled, resting his cheek on the top o her head. "Nah. Just pondering life."

Astrid sighed in mock experation. "As always. Anyway, how's the saddle going?"

Hiccup perked up, remembering his creation. "It's nearly finished. I just have to oil it and it's ready to go."

The girl smiled. "Great! It looks amazing. I was eyeing it off when I came in." She said, glancing over her shoulder to where the saddle sat on the workbench.

She wriggled out of Hiccup's reach, ignoring his pouting face, and lifted herself onto a table, swinging her legs back and forth.

"I wouldn't get too excited yet." Hiccup said over his shoulder, turning back to his work. "You aren't getting it until your birthday."

Astrid stuck out her bottom lip. "But my birthday is ages away!"

The man rolled his eyes at her. "Nineteen days, m'lady. That's barely ages."

She looked surprised. "You remembered?"

"Remembered what?"

"My birthday."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well..."

"Astrid, have you forgotten MY birthday?" Hiccup feigned offence.

"No, no! April 28! I just thought that with you kinda ignoring everyone lately you... Oh."

Hiccup dropped the mallet he was holding. Astrid's face went pale.

"Oh, gods, Hiccup. I didn't mean it like that, I just..."

Hiccup turned around to face her. "No, it's okay."

She sighed. "Just with your duties as chief, you know, we haven't seen you in a while. Any of us. Oh, gods, I sound like such a brat now. Oh gods..." She buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning red. "I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I've really stuffed this up."

Hiccup bit his lip. "Astrid..."

He shuffled over to her, placing his hands on her knees. "It's not your fault." He whispered. "I should be the one apologising."

She shook her head, staring down at the floor through her hands. "No, it's not your fault either. It's not your fault that your father..." Astrid stopped herself, seeing Hiccup's eyes glaze over. "Sorry." She mumbled quietly.

He pushed any memories of his father to the back if his mind, smiling gently at her. "Stop apologising, woman. It's depressing."

She laughed quietly as Hiccup prised her fingers away from her face and brought them to his lips. "Besides, I have better ways to use my time than worrying about... That." He said, stroking the palm of her hand absentmindedly. She lifted his chin so he looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry I brought that up. I know you try..."

Hiccup snapped upright.

"What did I just tell you?" He growled. "How dare you disobey the chief, young lady? I said no apologising!"  
Astrid raised her hands in protest. "I didn't..."

Hiccup seizes the opportunity, burying his nose in the crook of her neck and pinning her arms down by her sides. She squealed in a way that was very un-Astrid-like, and flipped onto her side to try and escape his grasp. Hiccup laughed evilly as she wrestled herself out of the way, turning and glaring at him. She punched his shoulder in the way that he had gotten used to in the last five years, and barely felt anymore.

"Why would you even do that?" She groaned at his mischievous expression.

"Well, it certainly lightened the mood, didn't it?"

She shook her head, laughing. "You are impossible."

He took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her. "You've put up with me for years, I don't think you mind."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Not really."

Both vikings sighed, enjoying eachother's company for a minute before Hiccup broke the silence.

"Are you free tonight?"

Astrid slipped her hands around his neck, looking at him quizzically. "Why?"

Because I have a spare hour. I can take you out, if you want. Just like we used to. To make up for the past few months.

The girl bit her lip. "I'm actually looking after the Dalgaard kids tonight while Alfhild goes out, so I'm kinda busy."

Hiccup's face fell. "Oh."

Astrid gently brushed his hair out of his face. He looked at her, his gorgeous emerald eyes catching her azure blue ones, and she melted.

Cupping his cheeks in her hands, Astrid kissed him on the very top of his nose. "But I promise, some day this week, we can go flying. I'd really like that."

He smiled at her in his own goofy way. "Me too."

She tapped his cheek lightly. "Anyway, I better go now. I've got a lesson at the academy."

Hiccup laughed. "You should have my job."

"I don't think so. I'll see you around." She blew him a kiss on her way out. Hiccup waved, turning back to his work. In the corner, Toothless groaned, annoyed at being forgotten.

"Alright, alright." Hiccup shouted at him. "I'll take you flying."

He looked at the saddle and shrugged. "Work can wait."

Toothless snickered in glee as his rider mounted him for the first time in days.

Hiccup grinned.

"Let's go, buddy."


	3. Chapter 2

Hello gorgeous ones! So, i have been very slack with this fic, a couple of people have showed interest in me continuing it, so i got back to work, and here it is: Chapter 2. Hopefully chapter 3 will be up soon, but i have been rather busy lately, so we will see. Please comment and review, every piece of feedback helps.

Keep being awesome, guys :).

Birdy.

Late in the Winter of his thirteenth year, Ridian of Faroe decided that someday he was going to become his father. The man held around him a certain aura of quiet confidence and regality that the boy admired. Yet now, twelve years later, Ridian waited nervously outside Hadar's quarters, wondering when on Earth that admiration had turned to fear. He tapped his foot, looking around for a distraction to calm his beating heart. The giant ship rocked only slightly in the tremendous storm raging on outside, but the young soldier felt every movement.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a second. Earlier that evening, a maid had approached him, giving him news that his father wished to see him. The request had first been mHELLet with pleasure, then doubt, then anxiety, as Ridian couldn't remember the last time the general had truly "wished" to see him, so he concluded that there must be something wrong. And as he waited outside his father's room, his suspicion only grew.

Quite suddenly, the door creaked open painfully slowly, drawing out the sound, and the dark form of General Svalenn emerged from the doorway.  
"Ridian."  
The man gulped. "Yes, sir?"

"Come in."

Ridian followed his father into the room. It was richly carpeted, with thick tapestries and weapons hanging from the walls, but the whole place smelt musty and unused. The general took a seat, leaving Ridian to stand. The soldier looked around awkwardly.  
"How are you?"

"What?" Ridian regretted the word the second it left his lips. "Oh, yes, fine. just fine."  
The general made a feeble attempt at a smile. "Very good. Indeed. And your mother?"  
"Oh… Yes, she's fine as well. All good. Yes."  
"I'm glad to hear that." The general paused, and the silence fell cold around the two men.

"I have a job for you, Ridian."  
"A what?" Ridian bit his tongue, mentally cursing himself for the second time in thirty seconds.  
"A job. A mission. Whatever you want to call it." The general smirked. "And one of the utmost importance to The Master's plans."  
Ridian straightened his back. The Master was the most feared man throughout the archipelago. Although Ridian himself had never seen or met him, he had heard he stood ten feet tall, and with the strength of a dozen men. Legend held that all dragons bowed to him, and only him. "What is it, Father… Sir?"  
Hadar cleared his throat, straightening his cloak over his shoulders.  
"I need you to go to the island of Berk, and bring to me a certain dragon."  
Ridian's eyebrows furrowed. "A dragon? I thought you said the plan was of importance to The Master?"  
The general laughed. "Yes, my son, I did. But it's not any regular dragon you are going after. This dragon is a Night Fury."  
The young man's eyes flew wide open. "But… those are extinct! They have been for years!"  
Hadar leaned in close, too close. Ridian could smell a strange scent on his breath, and it took him a second to recognise what it was. Blood.  
"Not any more."

The general straightened up quickly, turning his back to his son to inspect a suit of armour standing in the corner. "I need you to do whatever you must to bring me this Night Fury, because there is a man who will follow it to the end of the Earth. If you must kill, then kill. But leave the Night Fury and its master. I have… special plans for them."

Ridian gulped. "How can I possibly catch a Night Fury, Sir? It would kill me, or anyone that came near it."  
Hadar inspected his reflection in the armour.  
"You will need to set a trap. a clever one, one that will ONLY catch that dragon, nothing else. You will have to be smart, Ridian. That is your only chance."

The soldier nodded. "Yes… sir."

"Good." grinned Hadar slyly. "I will provide you with one hundred men. I expect to have that dragon in my hot little hands before the week is up, understand?"  
Ridian repeated his words. "Yes, sir."

"Good. You may leave now."

The young man bowed awkwardly and left the room, sighing deeply to himself and running his fingers through his dark hair. He had survived the meeting.

Outside, the merciless storm raged on. Ridian knew it would not have yet reached Berk, but by the time it did, he would be there too.


	4. Chapter 3

Hi everyone!

I am back with Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 is sitting on my computer while I edit it as we speak, so that is almost ready as well.

Please don't forget to review, I am receiving an alarmingly low amount of feedback from readers. Any comments and criticism is appreciated.

Stay fabulous, guys :)

Birdy

Hiccup returned from his flight well sundown that evening, red-faced and breathless from exhilaration. Valka chuckled quietly as her son and his dragon walked in the door of the Haddock household, both grinning like absolute idiots. Toothless trudged over and rolled on his side near the fire, exhausted.

"Looks like you've been having fun." She placed two plates of an unrecognisable substance on the table. Hiccup flopped down in a chair, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah… Sorry. I had a spare minute and Toothless was rearing to go." He said, carefully avoiding his mother's gaze.

"Mmhm." smiled Valka. "And did you get ANYTHING productive done today?"

Hiccup sat straight up in defence. "Yes! Plenty, in fact." He folded his arms across his chest, looking smug. "I was at the forge until four, and before that I was…. supervising. Something." Valka scoffed. "Very productive indeed."

Her son hung his head over the back of the chair. "C'mon, Mum, give me a break. Chiefdom is exhausting." The woman smiled gently, turning to stroke her son's hair.

"I know. I know."

Valka was slowly settling into civilian life, after twenty years of only reptile contact. She had been regularly socialising with the rest of the village women, and although she seemed a lot more comfortable around people, she still slept fitfully most nights, haunted by the violent death of her husband. Hiccup couldn't blame her, he was the same way.

He often wondered what life in the village would be like if his father was still here; if Toothless had killed him instead. Things would be a whole lot better for a lot of people. The overwhelming guilt consumed him daily, even six months on. Hiccup rested his head in the palm of Valka's hand. She sighed, squeezing his shoulder. "You should get some supper and go to bed, young man." She smiled. "You look famished."

Hiccup took one glance at the lumpy grey substance on the table and gulped. "No thanks, Mum. I'm actually not all that hungry. He stood up, pulling his mother into a tight hug before she could protest.

"Goodnight!" he called over his shoulder, practically sprinting up the stairs.

Valka laughed, shaking her head, and turned back to the table.

"Goodnight, son."

It was past midnight when Valka shook Hiccup awake.

"Eret's at the door. He looks worried."

Hiccup mumbled something about beauty sleep and rolled out of bed, motioning for Toothless to follow him.

Eret, Son of Eret, usually so calm and collected, seemed agitated as he watched the Viking chief trudge towards him.

"Hiccup… I, uh, was on patrol. I saw something." He looked around nervously. "It was a ship. Sailing into Nightmare Bay. I couldn't see any more, just the one."

Hiccup frowned. "Are you sure? If it's an attack, we should easily be able to take only one shipfull of men."

"That's what I'm worried about." breathed Eret. "If it's not an attack, then what is it?"

"Are you sure you saw something?" Hiccup yawned. "It's pretty late, you might have just… dozed off?"

"Positive. "

The chief sighed. "Alright. Let's check it out."

Nightmare Bay was one of the north-facing areas of the island, so it was completely unprotected from the bitter arctic winds that blasted Berk year-round. That, combined with the fact that a light sprinkle of rain had begun to shower down upon them meant that Hiccup, Eret and their dragons couldn't stop themselves from shivering as they landed just beyond the bay. Hiccup slipped of Toothless' back and crept towards the treeline. Waves crashed upon the sharp, jagged rocks, tossing spray high in the air. No ship could ever moor here, let alone land.

"I can't see anything." He called to Eret. The man came to stand next to him.

"I-I don't understand." he stammered. "It was right here, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the night, making the two vikings jump in fright.

"What the…" Hiccup began, but his words were cut of by yet another scream, even louder this time. Out of instinct, the pair jumped on their dragons' backs.

Hiccup swore loudly. "Eret, it's a trap. This whole thing. We need to get back to Berk NOW!"

"A trap?" Eret yelled at their steadily retreating forms. "Who'd set a trap?"

Hiccup's voice was barely audible by the time he answered. "I DON'T KNOW!"

A million thoughts rushed through Hiccup's head in the seconds before he reached Berk's township. How could he have let down his guard so easily? Who was attacking? Drago was dead. At least he thought so. Everyone he loved and held dear was back in the town. Valka. Astrid. Goober. The rest of the gang. Everyone, and he had let himself be tricked into leaving them. The thought made him sick.

But the sight of Berk made him sicker.

Men and women, still in their sleeping clothes, were out warding off soldiers in black and red uniforms. Dragons swooped at the attackers, and Hiccup yelled as he watched catapults and nets bring them to the ground. The rain poured down on the village, extinguishing fires and releasing billowing clouds of smoke into the air.

The soldiers had an unfamiliar emblem on their shields, but he wasn't close enough to see them properly. He looked around for anyone he knew. Snotlout and the twins were swinging wildly at a group of enemies, and he thought he caught a glimpse of Valka and Cloudjumper. As Hiccup watched, he noticed that the soldiers did not seem to be trying to kill anyone, only disarming them. "Why would they…" he began.

It was then he saw a small group of men, all in black, standing on the edge of the forest. He nudged Toothless towards them, dodging nets and other riders. The rain stung his eyes as he squinted at his target. They hadn't even seen him coming yet.

"NOW!" he yelled to Toothless over the chaos. The dragon released a single, perfect orb of plasma that went sailing straight towards the men, hitting the ground just in front of them. The sheer force of the blow knocked them backwards several metres, and they were sent sprawling onto the ground. Toothless crowed in delight and did a loop to head back towards the village. Hiccup looked behind him. The soldiers were still trying to get up, but there was one who had his eyes fixed on Toothless, as though he was under a spell. The dragon bent round the side of the Great Hall, and the men were cut off all together.

Turning his attention back to the current situation, Hiccup flattened himself on Toothless' back. The villagers seemed to be fighting a losing battle, with many of them surrendering, weaponless, to the massive army. How could they have possibly sneaked in without Hiccup noticing?

Toothless dove again, taking out crowds of the enemy left and right. He swooped back around near the Haddock house, landing just outside. The door was wide open, but no-one seemed to be inside.

Suddenly, he heard a dragon's scream and turned around just in time to see Cloudjumper plummet out of the sky and hit the earth with a sickening crunch. He screamed his mother's name, unsheathing Inferno and running towards the dragon as fast as he could. In the chaos, he completely forgot about Toothless, who had turned to ward off a gang of soldiers.

Valka struggled, caught in the thick netting that had encaptured her and her dragon.

"Hiccup!" she yelled, seeing her son running towards her. He fell to the ground and began to saw through the ropes that bound her.

"What happened?" he panted breathlessly.

"I don't know." Valka muttered, doing her best to help. "I heard a scream, and then suddenly it was pandemonium." Hiccup cut through the last binding and attempted to haul his mother out of harm's way. Valka yelped, coiling over and clutching her leg. "Let go," she cried. "Hiccup, stop!"

Hiccup let go, seeing his mother writhe in pain. "It's broken." she gasped. "Cloudjumper must have crushed it." He winced. Valka's leg was bent at a strange angle, a lump sticking out from her calf. She bit her lip, then her eyes widened.

"Hiccup." she hissed. "Where's Toothless?"

Hiccup's breath hitched. "Oh, gods." He whispered to himself.

"I'll be right back." he shouted to his mother, turning and running. "I need to find my dragon. BE CAREFUL!"

When Hiccup spotted him, Toothless was faced head-on by a large band of soldiers. They forced their way towards him, and Toothless shot plasma blasts left, right and centre. Hiccup counted them in his head.

"One… two… three.. four…" The dragon swung his tail, taking out the remainder of the group. But they didn't stay down for long.

"Five…" Hiccup groaned as Toothless reached his shot limit. He had made a terrible mistake.

Suddenly, Hiccup tripped over, falling flat on his face in the mud as the sounds of battle swirled around him. His head hit the ground with a great thud, disorientating him for a few seconds. He heard Toothless' scream as the men charged towards him, and then a ferocious battle cry that he knew all too well.

Astrid Hofferson looked the soldiers dead in the eyes, challenging them to come any closer. Toothless wrapped his tail around her, like he so often did to Hiccup, and the pair took a stand. But they were only two, and as Hiccup heaved himself off the ground, the men stormed.

Toothless bared his teeth, lunging at them, but the soldiers only tried to grab him and force him to the ground. He shook them off with a gigantic beat of his wings, and the men went flying backwards. Astrid, however, was soon faced by at least four or five of the enemy. She swung at them with fury in her eyes, and they swung back.

Hiccup sprinted as fast as he could, coughing and spluttering in the smoke. Toothless was slowly becoming overwhelmed as more and more soldiers leapt onto him. A man grabbed Astrid by her arms, and she screamed as the weapon was ripped from her hands. Hiccup yelled out, and Toothless turned his head towards his rider.

Suddenly, an jet of fire appeared from above. The soldiers cried out, backing away as the form of Eret and Skullcrusher swooped above them. Astrid and Toothless were momentarily released, and both rolled over to run towards Hiccup. The soldiers yelled out and followed them.

They had almost reached Hiccup when a soldier appeared by Astrid's side, grabbing her by her braid. She yelled out and struggled as the man wrapped his arm around her throat.

"ASTRID!" Hiccup screamed her name, but the rest of the soldiers had already reached her. Toothless turned and bounded back towards them, growling. The man who held Astrid unsheathed his dagger, holding it against her throat as she struggled, choking.

"Not a STEP closer." he warned, looking Hiccup in the eye. "Keep that dragon under control, too."

Astrid clawed at the soldier's arm, but he kept a firm hold around her neck. Hiccup grabbed Toothless before he could attack them.

The soldier looked around, smiling in victory. Then he stared Hiccup straight in the eye.

"Take her away." He threw Astrid on the ground behind him. She choked and spluttered, gasping for air. Hiccup released Toothless and took a step towards her.

"Astri…"

But her name died on his lips as the soldier swung his fist at him, and everything went black.


	5. Chapter 4

Hi everyone!

Not much to this chapter, basically just a lot of Astrid sassing people, but it was necessary for the story to make sense, so I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to review!

Oh, and thank you again to my wonderful editors.

Astrid woke to the sound of hushed chatter. From the uncomfortable pose she was positioned in , thrown in what seemed like the back of a wagon, plus the fact that her hands were tied behind her back, she guessed that she had been given some sort of herbal concoction to sedate her. Wriggling around, she managed to sit up and peer over the side of the wagon. Around her, men in black and red uniforms sat upon the backs of horses, talking and laughing to each other. Suddenly, the events of the previous night came flooding back to her.

Toothless… he had tried to protect her, but the soldiers got her. And Hiccup, he was hit over the head, and that's all she could remember. Tucking her knees underneath her, she looked around. They seemed to be travelling through a burnt out forest, and she could see other wagons laden with food and supplies that had obviously been stolen from Berk. Astrid gritted her teeth, and yelled out.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?"

The procession of soldiers stopped, turning around to look at her. One, in particular, dressed differently from the rest, smiled and stepped her way. His steed snorted, tossing its head proudly.

"Ah, I see the princess has awoken!" He bowed, causing sniggers from the other men. Astrid laughed sarcastically.

"I'd watch who you're calling princess, buddy."

The man raised his eyebrows skeptically, sliding out of the saddle. He looked barely much older than Astrid, with dark hair and high cheekbones. He was quite tall, and up close, Astrid had to admit that he was quite handsome. His mouth curved up at the corners slightly, and he had gorgeous blue-gold eyes that were both mysterious and strangely alluring. Astrid shook off the thought, and focused on glaring at him with all the ferocity she could muster. He tilted his head at her.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss. T'was only in the interest of respect for a lady."

Astrid tossed her head. "Oh, and I suppose handcuffing and throwing someone in the back of a cart is also "respect for a lady"?"

The man laughed. "You could call it that." He motioned to the wagon driver. "Untie her. She won't do any harm."

Astrid tried to make releasing her from her bindings as difficult as possible for the driver, just to spite the army. The young man watched them the whole time, with an expression of mild amusement on his face. Astrid stood up, purposely standing on the driver's toes.

The man offered his hand getting down, which she blatantly refused. He chuckled. "You ARE a stubborn one, aren't you?"

Astrid stared at him indignantly. "What am I supposed to do, treat you like you didn't just kidnap me and raid my village?"

"Well, a little appreciation for my lack of cruelty towards you would be nice. After all, you are a prisoner."

She looked him up and down, not knowing quite what to say. Something about him reminded her vaguely of Hiccup, with his witty comments and charm. "You DID just untie me. I could bolt any moment.

He smiled. "Aaahhh, but I don't think you are going too. I have a feeling you're smarter than you look. You KNOW that you wouldn't get even ten metres."

Astrid swallowed. "You don't even know me."

"Yes, but it's fairly obvious that you're very sure of yourself. Anyone could tell." He extended his hand to her. "Ridian of Faroe, at your service. And since I'm assuming you don't want me to call you Princess, I think it's best you tell me your name, too."

The girl bit her lip, tentatively shaking his hand. "Astrid."

Ridian smiled. "Such a pretty name. For a pretty girl."

Astrid's eyes flew open. "Oh, no. I'm not falling for your charm, mister. And plus, I HAVE a boyfriend." The young man laughed.

"I know. And I know he's the chief of Berk, and that he rides a Night Fury, and I also knew your name before I asked. Quite honestly, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that. We wouldn't just take ANYONE off the streets to hold at ransom, would we?"

Astrid cursed. "Really?"

Ridian raised his eyebrows.

She groaned. "Personally, I'm a bit offended that you're just kidnapping me to get to Hiccup. It's not the first time, either."

"Oh, I don't want your boyfriend." Ridian unsheathed his sword, holding it up to the sun and inspecting it absent-mindedly. "I want the Night Fury."

Astrid laughed. "And so you're holding ME at ransom? Wow, what a fantastic plan." She looked around at the army. "Honestly, you could've come up with something better."

Ridian tilted his head. "Really? Because I'm pretty sure your darling Hiccup would rather give us his dragon for a bit than watch you be tortured and burnt right in front of him." Astrid looked him in the eyes, her face smug.

"You wouldn't do that."

The young man raised his eyebrows. "Wouldn't I? How do you know, Miss Hofferson?"

Astrid took a step closer, her voice dangerously quiet. "Because you're weak, Ridian of Faroe. You've never been in a war, you wouldn't know what to do if you were. At the moment, you're just trying to intimidate me, which is the most pathetic form of fear. You wouldn't be able to kill me, not even if you wanted to. You'd be too scared."

Ridian gritted his teeth, speechless. "What do you…"

"You said it yourself." Astrid cut him off. "I'm smarter than I look."

She climbed back into the wagon.

"What are you doing?" the soldier hissed, embarrassed.

Astrid tossed her head. "I thought I was a hostage? Unless you're going to let me go… But that'd be letting me win, and you wouldn't like that." She smiled cruelly, watching his discomfort. Some of the riders around them had started to whisper to each other, and Astrid could see Ridian's big ego rapidly deflating. She laughed.

"Don't worry. You needed a reality check anyway."

Ridian stared at her in disbelief, then a faint grin crept onto his lips.

"You are a snarky one, aren't you?"

Astrid looked him straight in the eyes. "More than you'd believe."


	6. Chapter 5

**_Hello lovely people! I know it has been a while (More than a while- a really long time :\\) but I AM continuing this fic, there has just been a lot going on in my life lately. So if I don't update this within the week, please send me an angry pm, it will be appreciated. Anyway, THE PLOT THICKENS! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. And don't forget to review, every bit of feedback helps._**

**_Ok, Birdy out. Enjoy!_**

The Haddock house held an atmosphere of tension so thick you could almost cut it the night after the attack. Valka was propped up in a chair with a healer tending to her leg, while Hiccup paced up and down, his head buried in his hands.

"How could I have let this happen? Mum, I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have tried to help her. God knows where she is, what they might've done to her already…"

Valka fidgeted nervously. "Eret will be here soon. Are you ready?"

Hiccup stopped and stared at her. "Am I ready? Of course I'm ready. I was always ready."

He threw his hands in the air. "I'M COMPLETELY READY." His mother winced.

"Hiccup, are you sure you're alright? You got hit pretty hard, why don't you just let someone else go. You don't have to be the one who rescues her, although I know you want to."

"Mother," the chief sat down, the tone of his voice weakening. "If you're thinking I want to rescue Astrid just for the glory, you're very, very wrong."

Valka frowned. "I wasn't implying that. I just… it might be safer if you were to stay here. If you were to be captured, then Berk wouldn't stand a chance without a chief."

"You're here." Hiccup stood up, biting his lip. "And you'd probably do a better job than I am."

"Hiccup, don't say that." Valka whispered. "You're a great chief."

The Viking sighed. "Sometimes I wonder. Dad wouldn't have let an entire army slip under his nose. He wouldn't have let them take Astrid, and hurt you."

Valka's breath hitched. "He's gone, Hiccup. There's nothing you can do."

Hiccup nodded, and the room fell silent.

"I miss him more than anything."

A single tear escaped Valka's eye. "I know."

Suddenly, the door flew open and Eret strode into the room. "Right." He said. "Let's go."

Hiccup grabbed his bag, calling to Toothless. Valka grimaced. "Be careful. And bring her home."

The chief looked back at her gravely. "We will."

Without another word, Hiccup and Eret jumped on their dragons and took off into the darkness.

As hard as she tried, Astrid could not get any sleep that night as the wagon rattled and bounced along the stony, overgrown path they were travelling along. She eventually rolled over onto her back to watch as the billions of stars in the dark night sky slowly faded away into pink and orange. Yawning, she sat up and leaned back against the hard wooden side of the wagon. No sooner had she closed her eyes again when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Ridian rode next to her, looking irritatingly alert despite the fact he had slept no more than she had.

"Good morning, Miss Hofferson." he grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. "I trust you slept well?"

Astrid tried to glare at him, but it came out more like a slightly grumpy stare. "Very well, thank you." She turned away from him, but he continued to talk. "Do you think your dashing young hero is going to finally make an appearance today?"

She huffed. "I hope not. Plus, I don't need rescuing. If Hiccup doesn't turn up, you're going to let me go anyway."

"Uh-huh." Ridian nodded. "I'll just turn you out into the forest. You don't even have a faint idea where you are, you wouldn't last a week out here all by yourself."

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Ridian. I can survive on my own for as long as I want."

He shrugged. "If you say so. But there's not another civilisation for hundreds of miles, and you'll be wanting to get back to Berk as soon as possible, I'm guessing."

Astrid smiled smugly. "So what? I'll train a dragon. I can do that, you know."

"Oh, I know. I've told you that before."

"Of course."

The conversation ceased between them for several minutes.

"You know," Astrid began, "You're going on about this whole 'treating me like a lady' thing, and you haven't even given me anything to eat since we started."

Ridian cocked his head. "What's that? I didn't think you wanted to be treated like a lady."

Astrid turned around. "Doesn't mean I'm not starving, idiot. Jeez."

He laughed. "Very well then." Turning around, he called to the men. "Halt! The princess wishes to take a break." He ignored Astrid's death stare, dismounting his steed. "And we may as well take one, too."

As soon as Astrid was untied, she stood up, shaking out her aching limbs and climbing off the back of the wagon. The soldiers had all taken off their helmets, and were laying in the sun. Food was taken off the carts stolen from Berk, and prepared around a small fire pit that someone had constructed out of rocks and dirt. Ridian appeared out of nowhere, linking his arm through hers. She recoiled, disgusted. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Acting like we've known each other forever. I met you yesterday, rather unpleasantly, too."

Ridian smiled. "Miss Hofferson, it's not by my choice that you're here. I'm simply following instructions."

Astrid gritted her teeth, "From whom?"

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

"I've said it before, you couldn't kill me even if you wanted to."

"Oh, alright. I'll let you loose in the woods to fend for yourself until your boyfriend finds you."

"I would survive. Gods, don't you listen to ANYTHING I say?"

Ridian looked offended. "Of course I do, young lady."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Young lady? Young yourself. They don't usually put amateurs in charge of an army, do they?"

He laughed. "You're right. They don't put amateurs in charge of an army."

Astrid looked smug. "Well, you look a little young to be considered a veteran of war."

"You look a little young to be out here all by yourself."

She clenched her fist, about to retaliate, when she was interrupted by a dragon's scream. The camp fell silent, and Ridian turned around. The girl smiled.

Suddenly, the ground shook and they all fell to the ground as a plasma blast hit the earth near them. Ridian drew his sword, leaping up to face the sky.

Silence.

Then, another blast nearly took him out as a dark shape swooped across the sky, momentarily blocking out the sun. Astrid rolled out of harm's way and tried to stand up, but Ridian grabbed her and shoved the sword up against her throat, covering her mouth. "SHOW YOURSELF." he hollered into the sky. The blasts stopped, and the camp fell silent for a few seconds. A voice appeared from the trees.

"Let her go."

Ridian laughed. "Are you going to come out here and make me, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third?"

Behind the treelike, Hiccup paused. "I might."

"Then show yourself. Or are you too afraid?"

The Viking gulped, considering his options. He stepped out into the sunlight, Inferno in one hand and Toothless by his other.

"Let her go. Now."

Ridian stepped forward until they were no more than ten metres apart, pushing Astrid in front of him. She struggled against him and the two other men that were holding her arms down.

"Ahhhh, the famous Dragon Master! I've heard a lot about you." He pushed the sword up against Astrid's throat, and a bead of blood appeared. Hiccup winced.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Ridian guffawed. "Why, I thought we could have a little chat before we get down to the serious stuff. Seeing you're so famous, it would be an honour." Some of the soldiers chuckled.

"I'm not here to listen to your small talk. Just let her go, and we'll never have to see each other again. Sound like a good deal?" Hiccup glanced at Astrid, willing her to stay still.

Ridian mock gasped. "Oh, no, no, no. There is nothing small about this talk." He smiled. "In fact, it's a rather big matter."

Hiccup frowned. "What are you on about?"

The soldier pulled Astrid to her feet. "I think you're underestimating what you're up against here. What you're dabbling in, my friend, could bring your entire world crashing down." The chatter around them ceased. Hiccup gritted his teeth.

"Look, whatever you want, I'm sure we can sort it out. But let her go, and we'll leave."

Ridian laughed. "Oh, no, chief, it's a little more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?"

The young soldier raised his eyebrows. "I am prepared to let your little lady go in exchange for something."

"What is it? Money? I don't have anything on me now, but…"

"You do ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

"Touché." Hiccup muttered under his breath.

Ridian cleared his throat. "As I was saying, I will release her, on one condition."

"What is it? Hurry up, the suspense is killing me." the Viking chief retorted.

The other man smiled, his eyes flickering towards Toothless. "I want the Night Fury."

Hiccup froze, his mouth agape. "No. Never. I mean…"

Ridian shrugged, pressing the sword harder against Astrid's throat. She struggled against his grip over her mouth, yelling something that no-one could understand. "Your choice…"

"WAIT! Wait." Hiccup tensed, holding Toothless back. The dragon growled, baring its teeth at the soldiers. "Isn't there another way? You don't have to kill her, please…"

"There is one way and one way only. It's up to you." Ridian looked down at Astrid. "What do you value more?"

Hiccup bit his lip. "It's not about that."

"Isn't it?"

Neither man was used to his wit being tested, but both held out. It took all of Hiccup's strength to hold Toothless back from attacking the men, which he knew would end disastrously. He couldn't let Toothless go, but if he didn't, Astrid would die…

Ridian's patience faltered. "Oh, MAKE UP YOU MIND! Give me the dragon and the girl goes free. Refuse, and she dies." Astrid tried to yell out to Hiccup, shaking her head as much as she was allowed. He tried to ignore her, focusing on Ridian.

"Fine." He gritted his teeth, loosening his hold on Toothless. "Release her."

Ridian grinned in defeat. "I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed." He hauled Astrid to her feet, but Hiccup noticed that he wasn't as rough as he could be. He wondered…

Toothless snarled, and Hiccup patted the top of his head. "Buddy, you have to promise me you won't hurt them, okay? Toothless, do you understand me? Do what they say."

The Night Fury whined, looking at Hiccup wistfully. "Good boy, bud."

He turned to Ridian. The man pushed Astrid forward, his hand still over her mouth, but she continued to struggle. Hiccup released Toothless and gave him gentle push forward.

Ridian finally released her just as Toothless was out of Hiccup's reach. She gasped for air, and Hiccup pulled her into his chest quickly, murmuring into her hair.

"Hiccup," she whispered. "It was a trap. He couldn't have killed me, not even if you refused…"

"Well, this is all very touching, but I'm afraid we've got to be on our way now. Have a LOVELY DAY!" Ridian smirked, as several men crept cautiously towards Toothless, grabbing his saddle. The dragon turned to look at Hiccup frantically.

"It's alright, Bud." he called. "Please, Toothless, work with them."

Toothless fretted as the soldiers fastened chains and ropes all over him, pinning his wings against his back. He wailed to Hiccup, and the chief winced. Astrid grabbed his arm.

"You're not just going to let him go. You can't."

Hiccup grimaced. "Not if I can stop it." He turned back towards the forest, raising his arm. "NOW!"

The sky exploded with fire as Skullcrusher burst out of the canopy. The soldiers and Ridian fell back in surprise, momentarily letting go of Toothless. The dragon shook off the ropes and started to bound towards Hiccup. "RUN!" The chief turned, pushing Astrid in front of him, and they bolted towards the treeline. Ridian's furious cry was the last thing he heard before he felt a small prick hit the exposed skin on the back of his neck and he fell to the ground, unconscious.


End file.
